“Don’t. I just wanted to look at you for a minute.” Finn hesitated, hovered above Iris, and then lowered herself to cover Iris’s body with hers. “You’re so beautiful.”
“So are you.” Iris brushed her fingers across the top of Finn’s shoulders tenderly.
Finn covered Iris’s mouth with hers, kissing her deeply. She caressed Iris’s arm and then trailed her fingertips lightly over Iris’s ribs. She backtracked to tease Iris’s nipple, bringing it to a hard point.
She rocked Iris gently, moving on top of her, using her thigh to apply pressure.
Finn changed her position, slipped her hand between them, and stroked Iris’s sex. Iris opened her legs for Finn. She kissed Iris, their tongues danced together, as she teased farther with her fingers, circling but not slipping inside. Iris moved beneath her as if signaling she wanted more, that she was ready for more.
Gently, tentatively, Finn slid one finger inside. Testing, gauging, she pulled out and then used two fingers.
“Is that okay?” she whispered.
“Yes.” Iris was breathless, her eyes were closed. Iris dug her fingers into Finn’s back, riding her hand. “Go slow.”
Finn tried to match the rhythm of her breathing to Iris’s. She wanted more than anything to please Iris. She wanted to make Iris want more of her, more of this. She tried to heed Iris’s request, but as Iris’s climax gained altitude she urged Finn to increase her speed.
“Faster…yes…yes…you feel so…” Iris cried out, sinking her nails into Finn’s ass.
Finn moved so that her thigh was braced against her hand to increase the pressure. Iris was grinding against her palm as she climaxed.
“Oh, Finn.” Iris tightly wrapped her arms around Finn’s neck. She trembled, cried out once more, and then dropped to the pillow.
Finn sank on top of her. She kissed Iris languorously, pressing her body into Iris’s. Finn’s thigh was still between Iris’s legs, which meant that Iris’s thigh was between hers. She shifted when she sensed Iris’s hand slipping between them. Iris’s fingers found the sensitive, very wet, place between her legs.
Fuck, if Iris touched her she was going to come so fast. Iris seemed unsure, so Finn guided Iris’s fingers until Iris slid inside.
“Like this?” Iris’s lips brushed the outside edge of her ear.
One of Iris’s hands was at the small of her back as she rode Iris’s other hand against her thigh.
“Yes…” But she could hardly speak.
She was coming hard. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried not to lose herself. She’d been so turned on that the climax came with blinding speed, like a bolt of lightning in darkness, it seared through Finn’s body, cutting a jagged path of light. And then as she sank against Iris, she held Iris’s hand in place as shock waves from the orgasm rippled through her system.
Breathless, Finn rolled onto her back, pulling Iris with her. She sank into the pillow and Iris settled her cheek into the hollow space in Finn’s shoulder. Iris draped her arm across Finn’s stomach and snuggled against her. After a minute, after Finn stopped seeing stars, she rotated and pressed her lips to Iris’s forehead.
This was all unexpected, but inevitable at the same time.
She’d wanted to be close to Iris from the first moment she’d seen her. Well, maybe not the first moment. Not at the diner, but later, when they’d talked in her cabin and she’d extracted the sharp leaf shard from Iris’s delicate foot. Definitely since then.
She exhaled slowly. Her arm was around Iris, and she let her fingertips caress in small circles on Iris’s arm.
“What are you thinking about?” Iris kissed her jaw.
“How I wanted to be with you like this…since…since that night in my cabin.”
Iris raised up on her elbow so that her face was just above Finn’s. She pressed her lips to Finn’s and lingered. Finn savored the contact. Iris was so fucking sexy, and the way she kissed Finn, the way she touched Finn, it felt so…intimate. As if there was nothing between them, no barriers, physical or imagined.
Her emotions were right on the surface, like sensitive skin after a rug burn. She swallowed them down. The last thing she wanted was to get all emotional the very first time they made love. Iris made her feel things, and she wasn’t ready to broadcast that to the world, and especially not to Iris.
Finn lay there with Iris in her arms, looking at shadow patterns on the ceiling for some time. She wasn’t sure how long. She sensed that Iris had fallen asleep. At some point, her lids began to droop and the heaviness of exhaustion pulled her under. She drifted off to the soft scent of vanilla and the warm comfort of Iris’s body pressed against hers.
Chapter Twenty-three
Iris woke first. Finn was on her side with her back toward Iris. The blanket and sheet were rumpled and askew, as if there’d been a tug-of-war during the night and Iris had won. The majority of the covering was on her side of the bed. Finn’s shoulder, arm, and one toned leg were exposed. Iris sat up. She reached for her phone to check the time. It was almost eight.
As quietly as possible, Iris slipped from the bed. In the bathroom she freshened up and put on clothes to go in search of coffee. She figured it was her turn to forage for the breakfast offering.
When she returned to the bedside, Finn hadn’t moved. She was reminded of that first night when she’d woken early and gone back to her cabin. She’d watched Finn sleep and considered waking her. It was hard to believe it had been less than a week since their first encounter. So much could happen in a week.
Iris leaned down and tenderly kissed Finn’s shoulder.
As she mingled with other travelers near the coffee dispensers, she felt as if she were on vacation, on some grand adventure. She was relaxed and happy. Good sex and sunshine agreed with her.
Iris stirred in cream and took a few sips before pouring a cup of coffee to take back to the room for Finn.
Part of her couldn’t believe they’d slept together, and the other part wondered why it had taken so long. Iris couldn’t remember the last time she was so immediately drawn to someone. And it wasn’t simply that she’d wanted to have sex with Finn, she’d wanted to be close. For Iris, closeness didn’t always equal sex, but in this case, she couldn’t stop herself. Once Finn’s skin touched hers, once their bodies were pressed together, she surrendered to her desires. Her desire for closeness, her desire to be touched, and Finn had not disappointed.
It seemed that Finn somehow knew exactly how she wanted to be touched.
A sense memory caused Iris to shiver. She closed her eyes and savored the sensation rippling through her system. She exhaled slowly and tried to focus on gathering a small plate of food from the continental buffet.
When she returned to the room, Finn had changed positions but was still asleep. The door clicked shut and Finn stirred. Sleepily, she rolled onto her back and rubbed her eyes. Her hair was adorably tousled.
“Good morning.” Iris sat on the edge of the bed and set Finn’s coffee on the bedside table.
The drapes were partially open, flooding the room with light.
“Good morning.” Finn squinted, her greeting was gravelly from sleep.
She kissed Finn lightly on the lips.
“I brought you some coffee and a sampling of food from downstairs.”
“Hmm, thank you.” Finn stretched and yawned. “What time is it? Did we oversleep?”
“It’s a little after eight.”
Finn sat up and the blanket dropped to her waist. She reached for the coffee and took a swig. Iris sipped her coffee and tried not to stare at Finn’s body, but it was impossible. Finn didn’t seem aware of the effect she was having on Iris, or if she did, she didn’t show it. Iris held onto her coffee with both hands, fighting the urge to push Finn onto her back and make love to her.
After a few sips of coffee Finn seemed to realize she wasn’t wearing any clothes and reached for her discarded T-shirt. Once she put her shirt on, Iris was able to relax and consider taking a few
bites of food. She carried the plate of fruit and muffins over to the bed and let Finn balance it on her lap.
“We should probably get going soon.” Finn polished off the last bit of a small blueberry muffin. “At this rate, it’ll be three before we make it to Amarillo.”
“I’m pretty much ready.” Iris folded her clothing into her suitcase.
Finn watched Iris zip her suitcase as she felt around under the covers, near the foot of the bed, for her missing boxer shorts. Yes, they’d slept together, but she was feeling shy about traipsing across the room in only a T-shirt.
“Give me a minute to get dressed and I’ll be ready.” Finn tossed the covers back and launched into the bathroom to freshen up.
Was she feeling awkward about last night? She wasn’t sure just yet. Iris seemed totally fine. If she had any uncertainty about the previous night’s sexcapades, she hid it well.
Within a half hour or so they were in the car and on the road. The drive northwest to pick up Route 66 in Amarillo was going to take almost six hours. Hours of sameness as they drove through Wichita Falls, cutting a diagonal across the Lone Star State. The scenery wasn’t going to be much of a distraction, which meant only one thing—conversation.
This was the part that Finn usually checked out for. This was the part where stay made her simply want to leave. The irony was that she was leaving, and Iris was leaving with her. Maybe she should have thought her impulses through a bit more before she took her hands off the wheel and allowed her libido to drive.
What if things had gone badly? What if she’d read the signals completely wrong, then where would she be? In the middle of Texas with more days of driving before they could part ways.
But things hadn’t gone badly. In fact, sex with Iris had been incredible. They’d only spent a few days together, and yet, when they made love it was as if they really knew each other. How do you casually sit next to someone and talk about that without sounding like a lovesick teenager? She had no idea.
Iris’s cell buzzed and she searched in her bag for it.
Saved by the phone.
“It’s my agent, Judith.” Iris read the screen but didn’t answer. “I think there’s too much wind noise for me to hear her. Can we pull over so that I can call her back?”
“Sure. Let me find us a good spot.” Finn scanned the horizon.
A mile or so in the distance, she saw some sort of building. As they got closer she could see that it was a long-closed gas station. The concrete island where the pumps had been was weathered but intact. The overhang that extended from the front of the building to posts anchored in the island offered shade. The air was hot and dry. Finn parked in front of the vintage service station. She got out and peered through the broken front windows while Iris returned Judith’s call.
Iris walked away from the car out of earshot. She paced in a small circle as she held the phone to her ear. Judith was doing most of the talking, and Iris’s expression gave Finn no clues about how the call was going.
Iris glanced back at Finn. She was nervous about calling Judith, but she couldn’t avoid the inevitable. If she’d gotten the part then she was going to have to tell Judith she wasn’t taking it. She hadn’t quite decided whether to explain the reason for declining the offer. But she was getting ahead of herself. For all she knew, Judith was calling to tell her she hadn’t gotten the part.
“Hi, Iris, I thought I should give you a quick call and an update.”
“Thanks, I appreciate the call.”
“Well, don’t get too excited, because I don’t know anything about the casting for the show yet.”
“Really?” That seemed odd.
“There’s been some sort of delay.” Judith took a breath. “My guess is that legal has put this on hold to sort out something with the author. You know, this whole series is based on a novel.”
“I think I knew that.” She did know the show was based on a book, although she hadn’t had a chance to read it yet.
“Anyway, I’ll let you know as soon as I hear something, okay?”
“Sure. Thanks for letting me know the status, Judith.”
“Talk soon.” Judith clicked off.
Iris stood looking at her phone for a moment. She’d gotten a reprieve from making a decision, one way or the other. She walked toward where Finn was casually leaning against the side of the car in the shade. God, she was sexy.
“Everything okay?” Finn’s arms were across her chest as she lounged against the car.
“Yes. Judith was letting me know there’s been some delay with the show.” Iris tossed her phone past Finn onto the passenger seat. “So, no news yet.”
“I’m sorry. I mean, if that’s the right thing to say.”
Iris nudged Finn’s arms apart so that she could settle against her chest. Despite the heat, she wanted to be close. She wanted, no, needed, a hug. Finn seemed surprised by Iris’s sudden need for affection.
“Is this okay?” Iris kissed Finn’s cheek.
“Yes…I mean, of course.” Finn stroked her back as she held her gently.
Iris slipped her fingers inside Finn’s shirt and across her stomach. Finn’s legs were braced, and Iris had insinuated herself between them so that she was leaning against Finn, applying pressure to her crotch. Finn took a deep breath and adjusted her stance. Then she clasped Iris’s face in her hands and kissed her, softly at first, then with more force. Finn’s hand was at the back of Iris’s neck, her fingers were in Iris’s hair. Finn’s other hand was at the small of her back, drawing her closer.
Iris wanted to slip her fingers down the front of Finn’s jeans. She wondered if that would be too much. She slid her hand up the inside of Finn’s T-shirt and teased her nipple through the thin fabric of her sports bra.
Why not take this to the next level? No one was around on this two-lane back road in the middle of nowhere. Iris tugged the top button of Finn’s jeans free and then the next one and then the next one, and Finn didn’t stop her. The kiss intensified. Finn wanted her and Iris was happy to be wanted.
Finn moaned against her mouth as her fingertips made contact. Finn was so wet. She adjusted her stance to give Iris better access.
“Iris—”
An eighteen-wheeler, a beat-up flatbed drove past at a fast clip. The sound of the truck caused Finn to break the kiss for an instant, but Iris didn’t stop. She was stroking faster now. Finn’s focus returned. She kissed Iris again but then stopped, clutching Iris tighter as she came. Iris loved that she could have such power over Finn. Not that she was on some power trip, but the ability to make Finn feel something, especially this, was intoxicating.
“I can’t believe we just did that.” Finn was breathing hard. Her forehead rested against Iris’s.
“I can.” Iris’s hand was still in the front of Finn’s jeans. She slowly withdrew her fingers and then pressed her body against Finn’s.
After a minute, Iris stepped back, and Finn refastened the buttons of her Levi’s. Then she reached for Finn’s hand and pulled her to a standing position, away from the car.
“Come on, we should get to Amarillo before it gets too late.”
“I’m not sure I can drive.” Finn swept her fingers through her hair and took a deep breath.
“I know we were going to drive farther today, but I’m thinking we should just find a hotel in Amarillo.” Iris grinned.
“Yeah, I’m liking this revised plan.” Finn circled the car and opened the door. “I’m liking this new plan a lot.”
Chapter Twenty-four
Iris looked for hotel options on her phone while Finn drove. The Quality Inn seemed the best option for their budget. Especially since they’d splurged a little in Fort Worth. This place was conveniently located to the highway and had the highest rating for a lower price. And most importantly, it had a bed. Which is where Finn wanted to be, with Iris, as soon as possible.
The check-in was painfully slow. The couple in front of Finn asked a million questions, all of which could have
been asked after check-in or by looking at a phone or laptop. While Finn waited to get a room, some older guy was chatting Iris up. Iris was standing across the lobby with their luggage. She’d stepped away to return a call from her roommate, Maggie, but the minute she’d left Iris alone, the man had walked up. Iris was like a guy magnet.
Finally, the clueless couple left and Finn was able to get a room. When asked whether she wanted a single king bed or two queen beds she hesitated, but then realized it didn’t matter. Butterflies swarmed in her stomach at the thought of sharing a bed with Iris again.
She walked in Iris’s direction. The gentleman was still talking. Iris glanced in Finn’s direction, her expression said save me.
“Well, nice to meet you. I should get going.” Iris reached for the handle of her rolling bag and started to walk away to join Finn.
Finn had to give Iris points for being polite.
“You and your boyfriend have a nice trip.” He called after them as they headed toward the elevator.
“Does that happen a lot to you?” Iris asked as they stepped into the lift.
“What?” Finn hit the button for their floor.
“People thinking you’re a man.”
“Oh, that. Yeah…pretty much all the time.” Finn shrugged.
“Does it bother you?”
“When I was a kid it made me feel a little weird to get called a boy in the girls’ bathroom, and that still happens, but now I don’t really care.” And she meant it. “I’m comfortable with who I am. And this is me.”
“I like that about you.” Iris stepped closer and kissed her lightly on the cheek.
The doors swished open and Iris exited. Finn was giddy and a little lightheaded. She followed Iris as a woman and her kid got into the elevator. Finn’s phone buzzed just as she dropped her bag on the floor.
“I should take this. It’s my mom.” Finn held the phone but didn’t answer right away.
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